Science & Technology

When Richard Addante, ’11 Ph.D., neuroscience, was 7, his mother took him to see the space shuttle Columbia launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida. At that moment, his lifelong dream to become an astronaut was born. He became enamored with space, building model rockets and devouring books on the subject.

“It was so exciting for a young boy, and it ignited a spark in me that has continued to burn with a passion to explore our world and beyond,” said Addante.

The brain is one of the most astonishing and intricate parts of the human body, yet it only takes up a fraction of space. But, oddly enough, there's so much the average person doesn't know about his or her noggin. Here are some strangely interesting facts about your gray matter.